Open for joie de vivre, elegance, and departure to new destinations: the eagerly awaited Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W 121) was launched in 1955. The two-seater brought joy and colour to everyday life during the years of the economic miracle. Internationally the 190 SL set standards for a culture of comfortable travel with style and sporty elegance. Together with its “elder sibling”, the 300 SL, it paved the way for the successful Mercedes-Benz SL tradition – culminating in the current R 231.
Experts in the industry and the general public alike had been dreaming of this car since the appearance of a prototype version at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954. When it then appeared in its finished form in March 1955 at the 25th International Motor Show in Geneva, it met with a resounding response.